First Semester at EBC!
Friends! I'm back home in Michigan, and taking some time to reflect on everything that's happened during my first semester at Eternity Bible College! I can't believe how fast 4 months flew by.
Moving to California in January was a huge step of faith - but wow, God has provided blessings in ways I never could have imagined!!
School was great and I thoroughly enjoyed all my classes - it was intense at times trying to keep up with homework, but so worth it! Going through a survey of the entire Old Testament has shown me how foundational the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy) is to understanding the rest of the Bible, and how the Old Testament forms the backdrop to understand the New Testament. I've never understood this so clearly before. I was also able to study the background of other cultures in Old Testament times, comparing them to Israel's culture. It helped me realize that everything we read about in Scripture happened in conjunction with other major world events, which makes the Bible so much more real!
In Bible Study Methods, we spent the entire semester in Ephesians - which included making 100 observations within 10 verses, studying the historical and literary background, learning how to use a concordance for word studies, and writing a final 12-page paper that brought everything together! There is so much to learn when we take time to observe what the Bible says, interpret what the author's original meaning was, and find ways to apply those principles to today.
I think the very best thing about moving to Simi Valley and joining EBC has been the friendships. I never thought I'd become so close with people in just 4 months – honestly it feels like I’ve known them for so much longer! My classmates are amazing, and I have a solid community of friends from EBC and Cornerstone church.
At church I've been involved with children’s ministry, college group, and a community group, which has been such a blessing! Cornerstone is passionate about missions - that's one reason I chose to attend this church. They have specific focus areas of the world, one of them being JAPAN!!
Currently Cornerstone has 3 missionaries in Osaka - and I discovered that they attend a church I have visited in Osaka! My mind is still blown at how small the world is, and how God can orchestrate such crazy connections! I also met an EBC graduate that has served in Japan with Sunrise International, the same organization I spent 3 months with last year.
These connections are such a God-thing, something I didn't expect when moving to California. I just assumed I would attend school, and Japan would have to be put on hold until I finished my degree. But God surprised me - he always works things out so perfectly! Wow. I am so thankful for God's continued confirmation that he is calling me to Japan.
I'm currently home in Petoskey for the summer! I will be working, and also taking 2 online classes over the next couple months. In August, I plan to move back to Simi Valley. I'll be living in a different location, but God seamlessly provided a new place to live with a friend! He is so good at knowing exactly what I need. I am excited to return and continue learning, especially since I have a fantastic community of friends waiting for me!
Thank you for taking time to read a little about God’s faithfulness in my life – I hope it encourages you to take steps of faith, knowing that God will always provide.
